Chapters 5, 6, and 7 are a teaching session, the longest and fullest continued discourse of our Savior that we have in all the gospels. Jesus’ ministry prior to John’s imprisonment was intended to make way for this session. It is probably a summary of what Jesus had taught and preached in the synagogues of Galilee. In this discourse the way of salvation is not presented but the way of righteous living. It is a contrast between the new way with the old way of the scribes and the Pharisees. It is also an elaboration of the spirit of the law. It is for the benefit of the disciples of Jesus because they are to teach others and it is necessary that they have a clear and distinct knowledge of these things. Although the discourse was for the benefit of the disciples who Jesus has called to follow Him and be fishers of men it was in the hearing of a multitude. On this mountain no bounds were set about this mountain to keep the people off it as they were on Mount Sinai when the Law was given to Moses (Exodus 19:12). When the Law was given to Moses the Lord came down upon the mountain, now the Lord goes up on a mountain. On Mount Sinai He spoke with thunder and lightning. On this mountain in Galilee there is no thunder or lightning. When the law was given the people were told to keep their distance; now they are invited to draw near. To this mountain we are called to learn to offer the sacrifices of righteousness.
When Jesus had placed Himself so as to be best heard He taught the disciples and the people according to the promise in Isaiah 54:13. He taught them what evil they should avoid, and what was the good they should do. He begins His instructions with blessings because He came into this world to bless us as the great High Priest of our profession. He came not only to purchase salvation for us, but to pour out and pronounce blessings on us; and in this session He does it as one having authority, as one that can command the blessing that have been promised to the believers. The Old Testament ended with a curse (Malachi 4:6), the gospel begins with blessings and each of the blessings has a double intention. They identify those who are the blessed in this world what their characters are. This is designed to rectify the ruinous mistakes of a blind and carnal world the blessed are the strong and rich, the great and honorable men and women in the world. Jesus corrects this error and advances a new way of life. He gives us a different idea of blessedness, however paradoxical it may appear it is in itself a rule and doctrine of eternal truth and certainty, by which we must shortly be judged. We are told what God expects of us and what we can expect from Him. No where in the Bible is this more fully set before us and in fewer words than in the Sermon on the Mountain. The highway to blessedness is opened.
In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus gives us eight characteristics of the blessed in this world. He describes the inner qualities of His followers and promises them blessings in the future. The inner qualities of the true follower of Jesus are a contradiction of the proud thinking of the Pharisees who believed they had attained righteousness through their good deeds and their relationship with Abraham. Jesus’ point is righteousness is not attended through good deeds or a relationship with Abraham, but through a relationship with Him. He reveals the secret that is hidden from the ungodly and unrighteous who believe the comforts and luxuries of this world are indispensable. He lays the axe to the roots of the carnal conceit of the scribes and Pharisees who vainly believe external peace and prosperity are the result of the coming of the promised Messiah.
Jesus said the blessed in the world are the poor in spirit. This poverty in spirit is put first among the characteristics of the blessed because it is the foundation of all other blessings. It is the necessary attitude for the entrance into the kingdom of heaven. Those who are weary, heavy laden and poor in spirit find rest in Christ. God looks graciously upon the poor in spirit. They are His little ones. To them He gives more grace. They are fit to be subjects in the kingdom of heaven. They shall be exalted. The reason they are the blessed is because the kingdom of heaven is theirs. The ungodly and unrighteous of this world claim the blessed are the rich and the kingdoms of the earth are theirs. They are so blinded by their worldly lusts they don’t see the kingdoms of this world are temporal and the kingdom of heaven is eternal. It will never fade away. It is far greater than all the kingdoms of the earth. In this world there is a poor-spiritedness that is a sin and a snare.
When we compare what Jesus said about the blessed we need to remember there is a great difference between spiritual poverty and financial poverty. There is no virtue and often disgrace in financial poverty. Financial poverty does not produce humility of heart Spiritual poverty is the gracious disposition of the soul, by which we are emptied of self, in order to be filled with the Holy Spirit. It is admitting within ourselves there is no way we can earn our way into the kingdom of heaven. We can not pay the sin debt we owe. It is being humble and lowly in our own eyes. It is acknowledging that God is great, and we are not. He is holy and we are sinful. He is all and we are nothing, less than nothing, worse than nothing. It is to put off all confidence in our own abilities and strength that we may depend only upon the merit of Christ for our justification, and the spirit and grace of Christ for our sanctification.
Spiritual poverty is not generally found in the majority of the religionists. We often see and hear advertisements of conferences “promoting the higher life” but who ever heard of one promoting the lowly life? There are hundreds of books telling us how to be “filled with the Spirit,” but where can we find one telling us what it means to be emptied of self-consciousness, self- importance, and self-righteousness? Concerning wealth Jesus said, “That which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God” (Luke 16:15). It is equally true what is of great price in God’s sight is despised by men. Most of the “ministries” of this generation feeds pride, instead of starving the flesh; puffs up rather than humble. Anything that strips away pride, self-importance, and self-sufficient is frowned on by the pulpit and is unpopular with the pew.
To be poor is spirit means we have arrived at the point in life were we know we have nothing, are nothing, and can do nothing in ourselves, and need all things. All our self-righteousness is as filthy rags. Spiritual poverty brings us to our knees before God, acknowledging our utter helplessness and deserving the judgments of God. Spiritual poverty brings us to the point where we realize God’s great salvation is free, the most merciful provision of God’s grace. Realizing if God put a for sale sign on His grace and mercy we could not purchase them.
The poor in spirit are those who have passed from death unto life. Who have taken the place of beggars and are glad to receive the Lord’s charity and begin to seek the true riches of life. Who have laid hold of Christ and the Holy Spirit is emptying the heart of self that it may filled with Christ and His love.
Jesus’ claim the poor in spirit are blessed contradicts the world’s view of the blessed. His second is also contradicted by the world’s view of blessed. The blessed “are those who mourn.” In this world mourning is viewed as hateful and irksome to the human nature. In this world it is the lighthearted, the mirthful who are blessed, but Jesus who was Himself a great mourner, said the blessed are the mourners. Who is the blessed Jesus said mourn? They are the poor in spirit who mourn over the right things. In this world there is a sinful mourning, which is an enemy to blessedness. It is the sorrow of the world. It is the depressing and inconsolable sorrow expressed over the lost of the temporal things of this world. There is also a natural mourning, such as the loss of a loved one, which may prove a friend to blessedness by the grace of God working with it, and sanctifying our afflictions. There is also a godly sorrow, a sorrow according to God. A remorseful, penitent, regretful sorrow for sins committed. There is a sympathizing mourning, the mourning over the afflictions of others as Jesus did over Jerusalem, the looking with compassion on perishing souls and weeping over them. The blessed are those who mourn over the sins they have committed and don’t justify them.
The blessing is the comfort mourners receive. They may not be immediately comforted, yet provisions have been made for their comfort and in heaven, it is certain they shall be comforted. The blessings of heaven consist in being perfectly and eternally comforted. Heaven will be a harvest of joy, the return of a seed-time of tears, a mountain of joy, to which our way lies through a vale of tears.
The gracious promise of comfort begins in the removal of the burden of guilt. This comfort is the peace of God which passes all understanding, filling the heart with the assurance we are “accepted in the Beloved.” It is the continual assurance through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, “if we confess our sins” the Lord who is faithful and just will forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1st John 1:9). It is the promise those who are under the chastening rod of God “afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness” (Hebrews 12:11). The final comfort is the assurance through the Holy Spirit when we leave this world and are done with sin forever all “sorrow and sighing flee away.” “Every tear will be wiped away.”
